Image courtesy DE&S

The contract, signed with Rheinmetall Waffe Munitions (RWM), will confirm the new lethal round is ready to be used by UK’s Challenger 3 and Germany’s Leopard main battle tanks.

The two nations are working together to develop the ammunition under a Statement of Intent announced by Defence Equipment & Support CEO Andy Start, in his role as UK National Armament Director, and his German counterpart, Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki in April 2023. Working on behalf of both nations, BAAINBw, the German military procurement arm have now successfully concluded negotiations with RWM to allow the qualification of the new ammunition. This will confirm the new 120mm round will be safe and suitable for service use.

The increased lethality of EKE is driven by the incorporation of novel technologies like the new high-strength tungsten penetrator. This provides superior performance against current state-of-the-art protection systems.

The qualification contract once again underscores the flourishing relationship between British and German defence industries underpinned by the UK Prime Minister’s announcement on August 24 of a new UK-Germany Treaty with a Defence Agreement at its heart. The agreement aims to reinforce the ‘strongest partnership in Europe and on the world stage’ by boosting trading relations and building upon an already formidable defence cooperation.

Mark Colley, The Senior Responsible Owner for the Challenger 3 programme said: “This is an excellent example of Anglo-German cooperation that will see us qualify and field the most advanced 120mm ammunition. It reflects CR3’s enhanced interoperability with Leopard 2 and will represent a significant increase in NATO’s Armoured fighting power in Europe.”

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